Minnesota Twins: Sellers
Why: The Twins are in bad shape. They are headed toward a second straight last place finish and have been outscored by a whopping 85 runs in their first 81 games. The farm system is bare as well thanks to injuries and the Twins need to infuse some young talent into the organization.
Who they can deal: Francisco Liriano has a 2.95 ERA and 46 strikeouts in 42.2 innings since returning to the starting rotation May 30. He'll be a free agent next season, so the Twins will be glad to get any sort of return for him this year.
Josh Willingham is in the middle of a career year, with 18 home runs and a .924 OPS. He has two more years at an affordable $7 million per year, but it's unclear if the Twins will want to trade arguably their best player this year – they should at least consider it, as he would bring in the biggest return of anybody they can offer.
Justin Morneau is owed $14 million beyond this year but has torched the ball away from Target Field (.848 OPS, eight of his 10 home runs). Matt Capps could be offered as relief help if he can successfully return from injury – he's expected to be back after the All-Star break.
Who they should keep: Joe Mauer's contract – $23 million per year until 2018 – likely precludes a trade but he was well worth this year's All-Star bid, as his .415 OBP leads the AL. Scott Diamond has been a very pleasant surprise in the rotation, and Trevor Plouffe is angling to become the next Jose Bautista with 19 homers in 62 games entering Wednesday's game.
Glen Perkins and Ben Revere also have shown some talent and as young players they can help form a Twins core for years to come.
Verdict: The Bill Smith years have ravaged what was one of the best-run organizations throughout the 2000s. Winning now is an unrealistic goal, and the Twins need some young talent in the farm system. If they can get a few prospects out of their older pieces, they can get a head start on the path back to contention.
